The USGS Photographic Collection is a national treasure held in trust by the Central Region USGS Library. This archival collection of photographs dating from the 1870’s includes works of such pioneer photographers as W.H. Jackson, J.K. Hillers, and T. Moran. Images from the Photo Collection are being scanned and added to the Library’s historic photo website. 38,000 photos are available and may be searched by caption keywords or browsed by photographer or topic. Scanned images of these photos are in the public domain and can be viewed and downloaded at a variety of resolutions
free of charge. AWESOME!
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The guys from Epic Designs took off yesterday on a sweet — and maybe a little crazy — bike expedition down the Lost Coast, a 400+ mile stretch of wild coastline along the Gulf of Alaska. The expedition will start in the town of Yakutat and end in Cordova. Actually it’s a little more than a bike expedition; they’ll be on foot when biking is impossible and throwing those bikes into packrafts to cross the bays and portages. You can follow their blog here.
It’s easy to assume that if your ride on two wheels, you’re doing good things for the environment. The calculation is simple: if you’re on a bike, you’re not in a car. But being a cyclist certainly doesn’t make you green, as shown recently by Lance Armstrong.
The New York Times revealed last week that the seven time Tour de France champion used 330,000 gallons of water at his home in Texas…. just for the month of July! That’s 38 times the amount that a single household consumes during one summer. And it’s not just last month that’s shocking; since January 2007 Armstrong’s home has used an average of 158,000 gallons per month. I guess if you own a mansion — click here to see a photo of his digs — with a swimming pool and an acre of gardens that’s what it takes.
“I’m a little shocked,” Armstrong told The Statesman. “There’s no justification for that much water.” He added, “I need to fix this.” Umm… yes, and fast, because considering the this season’s Texas dry spell, there really is no justification for that much water usage (or should I say waste?).
We certainly love the sun… especially when it takes the form of renewable energy. The latest in solar news comes from California where two new plants will soon produce 12 times the amount of electricity as today’s largest solar power plant. The two new plants will be built in the central part of the state and together they will cover 12.5 miles and in the middle of a hot, sunny day will be able to produce about 800 megawatts of power. To put that number in perspective, one megawatt is enough to run a large WalMart or 1,000 California homes…
The power generated by the plant will be sold to Pacific Gas & Electric. The company is under a state mandate to get 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010 (the same year that LA’s plastic bag ban will go into effect). Good work California.
A unique view into the interactions between a wolf and a mother grizzly bear and her two cubs as they fight over an elk carcass in Glacier National Park. This remote video footage was filmed with a camera that works on a motion sensor… you wouldn’t want to be this close to wildlife battling it out over their breakfast!
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The highest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro’s summit lies at 19,300 feet which is exactly where Cameron Martindell took this photo of the surrounding glaciers. His team’s six day climb up the popular Machame route is well documented in a video on Martindell’s website. Check it out here.
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